December 20

Others were given in exchange for you, I traded their lives for yours because you are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you. Isaiah 43:4

My dear child, I know it’s Christmastime, and you are celebrating the birth of My Son, Jesus Christ. I know at this time of the year you enjoy the thought of His being a baby and His innocence. You don’t really want to think about His death now, but I want you to think on it so you can begin to understand just how much I love you. Those you love—you know how special they are to you, how much joy they bring to your life. You cherish the moments you have with them and want to keep them safe. Do you realize that I feel much the same about My Jesus? And do you realize that I am sending My Son, giving Him life on earth, to die for you? He is precious to Me, I love Him, and yet I want you in My life so much that I give His life for yours. Do you begin to feel just how much I love You? I pray for you, My child, to come to Me, to get to know Me, and to cherish Me as I do you. Love, God.

Twentieth-Day Activities

In preparing for Christ’s birth, you can make your own manger. Take two popsicle sticks, make an X, and glue them together. Repeat, making two legs. Using more sticks, lie them flat on the V part of the legs, gluing them as you go. Repeat for the other side. Then glue sticks on the end to enclose your manger. You can either cut the sticks to fit, break them, or just leave them long. Or the bed of the manger can be made from card stock paper or construction paper, folded into a V, and then glued to the legs.

Have small strips of paper beside your manger, and each morning talk with your children about what gift they would like to give to baby Jesus today. Help them write their gift on the paper, and then they can place their gift in the manger. The papers can be wrinkled up, as their gifts will become the hay. Gifts can be something like picking up their toys that day, helping set the table, not arguing with their siblings that day, etc. Keep the gifts simple, and vary them according to your child’s age. Encourage them throughout the day to remember their gift. This can also be continued throughout the year to remind us all of the gifts He gave us. Parents, give a gift along with your children. They will enjoy helping you to remember your gift too!